As portrayed in fiction, the Devil is an entrepreneur eager to fill his treasury with souls. Humans don't queue up for this privilege; they must be tempted. Temptation is a two-legged stool: The Devil, for his part, offers an alluring prize. If we play our part, fevered longing dislodges our usual sense of risk and reward — good and evil, if those terms suit you. Negotiations ensue; capitulation is not inevitable. Should we resist "the prize," citing free will, the Devil has a response. . . .
[This post described a story I was writing. In this cautionary tale a man is enticed by an item he discovers in his newspaper's classified section. It was, of course, placed of course by Old Nick himself. On the same classified page is an arcane crossword puzzle and an equally unusual Jumble. The cartoon in the Jumble depicts a woman sitting at a spinning wheel with the Devil over her shoulder, whispering in her ear, "The secret is selecting the right lambs." The caption of this fictional puzzle reads: What Satan's advice was intended to help her do. Here it is for you to solve. As with any Jumble, unscramble the seven words, one letter to a square. Then, arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer suggested by the cartoon described above and in keeping with the story it is part of.]
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